2022 April - Pro Football Rumors

Vikings Expected To Pass On C Garrett Bradbury’s Fifth-Year Option

April 25th, 2022 at 5:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings are planning to make 2022 a contract year for Garrett Bradbury. They are expected to decline the fifth-year option on their center’s deal, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson.

Because all offensive linemen are grouped together under the franchise tag system, the foundation for the fifth-year option setup, centers and guards see their option salaries spike because of tackles’ higher wages. Despite having not made a Pro Bowl in three seasons, Bradbury would be eligible for a $13.2MM 2023 salary.

It is not surprising to see the Vikings punt on that payment, though this should not necessarily be viewed as the team shutting down the prospect of a long-term future with the 2019 first-round pick. A Day 1 starter for the Vikings, Bradbury has lined up with the team’s first-string offensive line 45 times. Grading Minnesota’s O-line 23rd last season, Pro Football Focus assigned Bradbury the second-worst grade on that unit. His 2019 or ’20 grades did not place him near the top of the center position, either, certainly raising the stakes for his upcoming contract campaign.

Minnesota has just one high-end veteran contract (right tackle Brian O’Neill‘s) on its O-line, and this Bradbury decision will allow the Vikings to continue keeping costs low up front for the time being. The team has left tackle Christian Darrisaw and left guard Ezra Cleveland signed to rookie deals. If the Vikings are iffy on Bradbury’s long-term future, the upcoming draft becomes an avenue to address the spot.

Latest On Jets’ First-Round Plans

April 25th, 2022 at 5:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

An edge rusher-heavy 2022 class has seen Aidan Hutchinson, Travon Walker and Kayvon Thibodeaux overshadow Jermaine Johnson. But the Florida State defensive end is gaining steam to come off the board earlier than expected.

Johnson is tracking toward being a top-10 lock, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets, noting some view the 254-pound defender as this class’ top pass rusher. Johnson seems to have the Jets’ attention, and they could make the move with the first of their two top-10 picks.

GM Joe Douglas is a fan, according to The Athletic’s Connor Hughes, who adds Johnson is a better bet to come off the board fourth overall than Kayvon Thibodeaux (Twitter link). Several around the league believe Johnson has the edge on Thibodeaux with the Jets, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler adds (via Twitter). The Jets had what is believed to be a good meeting with Thibodeaux recently, and the Oregon product appeared to be re-establishing some of the value he had lost during the pre-draft process. This latest round of reports, including one that pitted the coaches against the front office regarding Thibodeaux, would go against that.

Walker’s ex-teammate at Georgia, Johnson transferred to Florida State in 2021 and had his best season. Johnson registered 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss with the Seminoles. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah ranks Johnson ninth in this class; ESPN slots him 10th. Thibodeaux comes in ahead on both hierarchies, but attitude and effort concerns have dinged the former No. 1 overall prospect throughout the draft buildup.

If defensive end is not the direction Gang Green goes at No. 4, Ikem Ekwonu and Ahmad Gardner come into play. “Persistent buzz” points the Jets toward the North Carolina State offensive lineman, SI.com’s Albert Breer said during an appearance on The Score 1260 (Twitter link). The Jets think “extremely highly” of Ekwonu, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link). Ekwonu could slot at tackle or guard. For what it’s worth, no team has chosen a guard in the top four since the Cardinals took guard/tackle Leonard Davis second overall in 2001. Ekwonu would also serve as rather expensive, draft capital-wise, Mekhi Becton insurance.

Gardner-to-New York talk persists as well, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller tweets. Gardner was linked to the Jets weeks ago, but the Texans are a candidate to nab the Cincinnati prospect at 3. Houston doing that would seemingly put New York to an O-line-or-D-line decision. The Jets’ needs on the edge and at cornerback may outflank those on their O-line. They have drafted offensive linemen in the first round in each of the past two years, and the Jets’ defense ranked last in 2021. But the team using both of their top-1o picks on players who can help Zach Wilson, being linked closely to receivers at No. 10, would make sense as well.

49ers Pick Up Nick Bosa’s Fifth-Year Option

April 25th, 2022 at 3:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

In what amounts to a procedural move given the player involved, the 49ers picked up Nick Bosa‘s fifth-year option on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Bosa is now signed through the 2023 season.

This is one of the easier calls in the option era, and Bosa is eligible for the top-tier option price. Despite missing most of the 2020 season due to injury, Bosa has made two Pro Bowls thus far. That attaches the former No. 2 overall pick to a $17.859MM salary for 2023.

Of course, a market-topping Bosa extension is on the 49ers’ agenda before that salary would come into play. Bosa became extension-eligible in January, and the GM John Lynch said a new deal for the impact defensive end has been budgeted. Although the 49ers have run into complications with Deebo Samuel‘s extension, no clouds have yet emerged regarding the team and Bosa’s future. The 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year bounced back from a September 2020 ACL tear to record 15.5 sacks and an NFL-leading 21 tackles for loss last season.

San Francisco’s path toward Bosa and Samuel re-ups has also seen Jimmy Garoppolo‘s contract become an obstacle. With barely $700K in cap space, the 49ers rank last in the NFL in available funds. A Garoppolo trade would clear $25.6MM off the team’s books. A deal is still expected, but the surgery Garoppolo underwent on his throwing shoulder has complicated matters.

Bosa (24.5 sacks between the 2019 and ’21 seasons) will be expected to land a deal north of T.J. Watt‘s current market-setting pact. Watt’s $28MM-per-year extension topped Joey Bosa‘s deal ($27MM AAV). The younger Bosa could become the NFL’s first $30MM-per-year defender, with the cap back on its usual course after the pandemic-induced reduction in 2021. Nick Bosa, 24, is attached to an $895K base salary this season. The 49ers have some time here, thanks to this option, but it should be expected Bosa will not play the 2023 season for the option price.

Patriots, Texans Swap Day 3 Picks

April 25th, 2022 at 3:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Three days away from the draft, Bill Belichick and his former right-hand man made a trade involving Day 3 picks. The Texans picked up a fifth-round pick in this draft, while the Patriots moved down.

Nick Caserio‘s team traded sixth- and seventh-round picks in this draft to the Patriots for a fifth-rounder, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. While trades featuring only Day 3 choices almost always occur during the draft, Belichick and Caserio acted early this year. Here are the official picks swapped, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter).

Patriots receive:

No. 183
No. 245

Texans receive:

No. 170

The Patriots now hold three sixth-round picks in this draft. They already had a fifth, supplied by the Dolphins in the trade that sent DeVante Parker to New England. The Pats now have six Day 3 picks but more than one in just one of those rounds.

The Texans had dealt their original fifth-round choice to the Bears, acquiring wide receiver Anthony Miller just before last season. Miller did not last long in Houston, being cut in October. Houston previously had two sixth-round picks and one seventh. The AFC South club now has five Day 3 selections — two fourths, a fifth and two sixths.

Teams Targeting Late First-Round QB Trade-Ups?

April 25th, 2022 at 2:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

It is widely known by this point that the 2022 quarterback class is not held in the same regard as the average one. That has made it difficult to pin down the likely landing spots for the top prospects at the position, as well as the number of teams willing to spend a first-round pick on one of them. It would appear as though the back end of Day 1 could become the source of some QB-related trades, however.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that while Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett are the top options, the possibility exists for the next tier of passers to start being taken late in the opening round (video link). That group – which consists of Sam Howell, Desmond Ridder and Matt Corrall – could be the target of teams trading up from early in the second round.

As Pelissero notes, there are a number of teams near the top of the second round which could select a signal-caller. That list includes the Seahawks and Falcons; if they decline to draft the likes of Willis or Pickett in the top-10, they could try to move into the late 20s to land one of the three other passers in the (seemingly likely) event they are still available.

One team to consider in that scenario is the Lions. While they are expected to target the top remaining edge rusher with the No. 2 pick, the team also owns No. 32. It is with that final Day 1 selection, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reports, that Detroit “is more likely [to] snag a QB… or move up a bit from there to do so”. Competition between the Lions and a number of other interested teams could create the circumstances needed for there to be “a run on some of those other quarterbacks”, as Pelissero details.

The pre-draft process has seen a number of opinions come out regarding this QB class and the value of developmental signal-callers versus more surefire prospects at other positions. Much will depend, of course, on how high Willis and Pickett go, but those two may not be the only passers to hear their names called on Day 1.

Giants Shopping Darius Slayton

April 25th, 2022 at 1:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Kadarius Toney has garnered most of the headlines for the Giants recently, but he’s not the only wideout who could soon be on his way out of New York. According to Dan Duggan of the Athletic, Darius Slayton is being shopped around by the team (subscription required).

Slayton, 25, has been involved in trade discussions before. In the run-up to last season’s trade deadline, the Giants began receiving calls on his availability. They didn’t end up dealing him, but New Orleans was named as a team which attempted to strike a deal. In a disappointing 2021 season, Slayton totalled 26 catches for 339 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

In his two other seasons in the NFL, however, the Auburn product put up encouraging numbers. His receptions (48 and 50) and yardage (740 and 751) totals were almost identical between 2019 and 2020, though he found the endzone much more frequently in his rookie campaign. That made him part of the cause for optimism surrounding the Giants’ passing game this past season, but the team ranked 31st in the league through the air.

As Duggan notes, Slayton’s usage earned him the proven performance escalator, which has direct financial consequences for the coming season. After three years of six-figure cap hits, that number will increase to just under $2.6MM in 2022. That makes him much less affordable for New York – which, after a slew of cost-cutting measures, still faces a tight cap situation – and less attractive to any potential trade partner. Duggan writes that it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see Slayton cut from the roster if a trade doesn’t materialize.

The Giants are well-positioned if they wish to re-shape their WR room this week via the draft. Especially if they add significantly to the position, Slayton could soon find himself in a new NFL home.

Multiple Teams Looking To Trade Down In Draft

April 25th, 2022 at 12:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

The defining characteristic of this year’s draft class is the lack of bluechip prospects at the top of the board. As a result, a number of teams have expressed a willingness to trade down from even the highest draft slots towards the middle of the first round or later.

Days away from the first round, ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms that the desire to move back still remains (Twitter link). “Multiple teams”, as he states, have called others currently slated to pick outside of the top half of the opening round regarding trade scenarios. Not surprisingly, however, “the interest in moving back… has greatly exceeded the interest in moving up”.

The Jaguars have been named amongst the teams looking to trade down, though they have yet to receive offers for the top pick. The Lions have made it known they would be willing to cede the second overall selection; given the lack of quarterbacks worthy of that slot, however, it is also unlikely they will move down. That has turned attention to the trio of teams who each hold two picks in the top half of the round.

Texans general manager Nick Caserio recently spoke about the possibility of moving either the third or 13th overall selections. The latter seems to be the far likelier target for a team looking to move up, pointing further to the possibility of the top 10 remaining as-is come Thursday night. The two key teams with respect to those initial 10 picks are the Jets and Giants; Big Blue may have an incentive to move down from No. 7 for, among others, financial reasons, but both teams could stand to add impact rookies across a number of positions with their respective selections.

Overall, draft day trades will, as always, be a key storyline to watch. It won’t come as a surprise, though, if there are fewer of them on Day 1 than in previous years.

Jaguars Nearing Extension With Cam Robinson?

April 25th, 2022 at 10:04am CST by Adam La Rose

As the draft draws closer, many continue to believe the Jaguars will use the No. 1 pick on an edge rusher. While there are a pair of offensive line prospects who could also be in consideration, the presence of left tackle Cam Robinson could turn their attention away from the likes of Evan Neal or Ikem Ekwonu.

Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline reports that “the Jags are close to signing [Robinson] to a long-term extension”. The 26-year-old was franchise tagged for the second time last month, guaranteeing that he would be in Jacksonville for at least the 2022 campaign. He has started all 61 games he has played in across five seasons in Duval County.

His level of play during that span, however, left many believing the tag would be a short-term move to buy time for a replacement. His 67.4 PFF grade in 2021 ranked 48th out of 83 qualifying tackles, far lower than where his compensation ranks at the position. The $16.6MM value of the tag would put him in a tie for eighth in terms of left tackle salaries, if he were to remain unsigned beyond 2022.

Pauline further states that “an announcement could come soon” regarding a new deal for Robinson. If that were to happen, it would give the team more certainty along an offensive line which has added All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff this offseason. It would also increase the chances of either Aidan Hutchinson or Travon Walker hearing their name called first on Thursday even further.

Panthers Waiting Until After Draft To Make QB Trade?

April 25th, 2022 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

Much of the speculation surrounding this draft class pertains to its quarterbacks. The team to watch at that position has long been expected to be the Panthers, who hold the No. 6 pick and have been linked to the few remaining veteran options still available.

If they do end up making a move for Baker Mayfield, though, it likely won’t be until after the draft is complete. As noted by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), Carolina will let Day 1 on Thursday “play out first, before any other options are considered”. One of those options is acquiring Mayfield, a possibility which has grown in likelihood in recent days.

However, as Rapoport’s colleague James Palmer recently reported, things have “remained status quo” on the Mayfield trade front (Twitter link). The Panthers, like all other potentially interested teams, have yet to make an offer, per Palmer. That falls in line with other recent reports indicating the ex-Browns starter will have a much greater market next year as a free agent than he does now coming off of shoulder surgery.

With regards to Jimmy Garoppolo, the other veteran signal-caller widely expected to be on the move, Carolina will likewise wait until after this weekend to make any potential move. Cameron Wolfe reported (on Twitter) that the acquisition cost of both Garoppolo and Mayfield would have to “drop significantly” for a trade to become feasible. With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that Carolina drafting a quarterback remains a “real possibility” at this point.

By the end of Thursday night, the Panthers’ quarterback situation may be much clearer. If the team looks elsewhere with their top pick, or trades down, however, they will remain closely linked to the top upgrades at the position into the next phase of the offseason.

NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson

April 24th, 2022 at 8:59pm CST by Ely Allen

At the beginning of the 2021-22 college football season, no one expected hometown Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson to become a favorite for the No.1 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Months later and days away from the first round of the Draft, Hutchinson is almost certainly one of four prospects being considered by Jacksonville for the honor of No.1 draft pick.

Hutchinson was a consensus four-star recruit at Divine Child HS in Dearborn, MI. His recruitment process was drama-free as he decided to attend nearby University of Michigan, the alma mater of his father, Chris Hutchinson, who played for the Wolverines back from 1989-92. Aidan appeared in every game of his freshman and sophomore year, breaking out a bit as a starter his second season with 68 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 10.0 tackles for loss, adding four quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. Hutchinson was set to start for the second straight year opposite Kwity Paye for the COVID-shortened season, before his year came to an early end after suffering a fracture in his leg that would require season-ending surgery.

Coming into his senior year, Hutchinson had 98 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 11.5 tackles for loss, adding seven quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles to the stat line for his career. The numbers are nothing to scoff at, especially when you consider that most of them are solely from his sophomore year, but, still, no one really put Hutchinson in the same realm as the expected first overall pick at the time, Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Fast-forward now to the end of Hutchinson’s senior season. Hutchinson set a school record with 14.0 sacks in a single season, more than tripling his output from his first three years combined. He tacked on 62 tackles and led the teams in tackles for loss and quarterback hurries with 16.5 and 12, respectively. After a dominant performance versus rival Ohio State that saw the 21-year-old tally 3.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss, Hutchinson shot up draft boards, pushing what was likely a first-round selection into conversations for the No. 1 overall selection.

When it was all said and done, after the season and the Combine and the pro day, Aidan Hutchinson sat atop the Draft prospect rankings of both Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network and Dane Brugler of The Athletic. Hutchinson is built to be a pass-rusher. He’s extremely strong with quick feet and efficient hand use. He knows he can win relatively easily at the college level, so he tends to tolerate a bit more contact than is necessary, something he’ll need to avoid at the next level using the multitude of pass-rushing moves at his disposal. He’s a weight room warrior, but likely won’t be able to add much more weight at the next level. He’s probably maxed out his size. He has a high motor and quick recognition, but his instincts in the running game can hurt him occasionally. He’s often posed as a slightly lesser version of the Bosa brothers with a bit less bend.

Hutchinson attended this year’s Heisman ceremony, but left empty-handed. He’ll be in Las Vegas this Thursday and is sure to leave this time with a brand new jersey and hat. The odds of them being teal, black, and gold are extremely high, and, if they are, he may just be on a mission to reinstitute the moniker of “Sacksonville.”